Tender Years has some of the best and most experienced teachers in child care. Part of our success is due to our amazing teacher retention. Many of our teachers have been with us since Tender Years began. All of our head class teachers have been with us for over 5 years and our director and assistant director have been with us from the beginning. Teacher retention and consistency is important for the children. Our teachers are incentivized to obtain continual training and stay current on the most advanced child care techniques. We are confident that the Tender Years staff is the most knowledgeable in curriculum, safety, and licensing standards.

Requirements
Tender Years follows State regulation requirements for staffing. Each staff member is required to have a background check performed upon hiring. The FBI checks fingerprints for employees who have not resided in Utah for the last 5 years. Background checks are renewed yearly to ensure the safety of our children. Health requirements state that all employees will hold a food handlers permit before preparing or serving food. Tender Years requires all employees to have a current First Aid/CPR certification.

Training
State regulation requires all teachers to attend a minimum of 20 hours of training per year. Many of our teachers have received their Child Development Associates or Bachelor’s Degree or are currently on the Career Ladder to complete this training. Teachers regularly attend continuing education courses in which they learn about current effective teaching methods and safety measures.

Before teachers are assigned a classroom, they attend several orientation and training sessions that assist them in understanding the State regulations and Tender Years policies and procedures. Trainings on regulation are renewed yearly to ensure that employees are familiar with health and safety policies.

Responsibilities
A head teacher is assigned to each classroom. They are responsible for constructing the daily schedule and curriculum for their classroom to include cognitive, social, and physical development. Teachers must provide a safe and loving environment.

Our Owner
Our owner, Jessica Drage has extensive experience in child care, education, music, and the arts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Mathematics from the University of Utah where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She also has her National Administrator Credential (NAC) from the National Child Care Association. Jessica taught elementary school for five years and has vast experience creating meaningful and motivating lesson plans. In addition, she has been involved with teaching extracurricular activities in singing, dancing, theatre, and math. She has been the Musical Choreographer at The Children’s Theatre of Salt Lake and Bryant Intermediate School and has been a Dance Choreographer at multiple schools including Olympus High School and Lincoln Elementary. While in college, Jessica tutored math to all age groups from elementary to college age. Jessica’s experience has taught her that every child is important, teachable, and needs to feel loved.

Our Director
Our Director, Diane Johnson, is amazing! She’s been our Director since Tender Years began over 10 years ago and has a wealth of knowledge and experience caring for, and teaching children. During her tenure she has implemented policies and procedures that follow State guidelines and ensure the safety of all our children. Prior to Tender Years, Diane worked as a child care provider on an Air Force base and volunteered for the American Red Cross in Portugal where she assisted Sure Start Teachers and tutored 7th grade math students. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Oklahoma State University and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. Diane’s experiences have led her in many different directions, but her passion always leads her back to caring for children.